Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
She leaned over and kissed him. He didn’t give in to the urge to take control. He let her brush her lips over his, and then she shifted her body so she was sitting next to him.
She glanced over at the dog and she gasped. “The treat’s gone.”
Grim reached for another. “A little closer this time.”
“Hey, buddy.” Her voice was gentle as she tossed the treat a full foot closer than last time. “This is for you. You’re okay here.”
For the first time in weeks he had some hope.
* * * *
Josh stepped into the shelter, locking the door behind him.
“It’s okay, sweetie. One shot and you’ll be fine,” a soft, familiar voice was saying.
Nicole. He’d kind of worried Harlow had been playing a joke on him when she’d told him Nicole would be waiting on him at the shelter because she was helping out Grim with a litter of puppies and one shaky mutt.
She’d barely talked to either of them for weeks, but she didn’t have the same problem with his family. She’d been getting up early to go riding with his dad and Pops. She spent her afternoons in the garden with his mom, and more than once she’d gone out to The Barn with Olivia, hauling Harlow along. On those nights Landon always followed at a distance and sent Josh texts letting him know she was okay.
The urge to follow her was almost overwhelming.
“I might give that one more than a shot. He’s peed on me twice. I think he’s aiming.” Grim sounded irritated but only for a moment. “Baby, hold him still.”
“He’s a wiggler,” Nicole said.
So Grim had found a way to connect with her again. Night was just around the corner, and the shelter was closed for the evening. They would make sure all the critters got their dinner, and then maybe he could convince Nicole to go out with them.
“He’s so cute. Why would you have any trouble finding someone to take him?” She sounded like she was in a good mood.
There was a purring sound from his left, and Josh looked over. Bandit was an ancient tabby cat who’d wandered in one day and never left. He’d been adopted out a couple of times and the owners were all good people, but Bandit would get out of their houses and find his way back here. At some point Grim had given up and accepted Bandit was the shelter’s only permanent resident.
“He’s cute right now,” Grim was saying, “but in a couple of months he’ll weigh forty pounds, and by the end of a year he’s going to be huge. The good news? I think I know who the father is. Dakota’s wrong. This dog’s got some Australian shepherd in him. They make excellent ranching dogs when they’re trained right.”
Josh knew what was coming next. He leaned down and let Bandit jump into his arms. The cat seemed to like him and enjoyed being petted for a time. He started for the back of the shelter where Grim’s office was set up. “He’s going to parade them by my momma, and the dads will have some new friends to help out. It’s good timing. Jasper and Gordo are about ready to retire and live the lazy life.”
“Hey.” Grim looked up and gave him a smile Josh hadn’t seen on his best friend’s face for days. “Thanks for stopping by. Nic’s been helping me with the newbies. They’re about six weeks along, so I’m vaccinating them. Being in the shelter can be rough on a pup, but these will be ready to be adopted out in the next couple of weeks.”
Nicole held a wriggling ball of fluff. “They took these babies away from their momma.”
“Hey, we’re honestly lucky the guy waited for them to be old enough to adopt. Sometimes they dump the puppies immediately so the mom can be bred again,” Grim said, packing up his kit.
“Do you want me to find him?” Josh would beat the crap out of the dude if she wanted him to.
She frowned his way as she put the puppy in the crate with his brothers and sisters. “The fact that you are standing there petting a cat while you casually offer to beat someone up is a whole vibe with you, Josh.”
He wasn’t sure his vibe was a good thing in Nicole’s head. “You think I should put the cat down?”
Her lips kicked up. “I think you should be less violent.”
“He’s mostly talk,” Grim offered. “Mostly. Let’s see if the little guy’s down yet.”
Bandit was purring against his chest. “You put a dog down in front of her?”
Nicole gasped. “He wouldn’t do that unless he had to. No, he’s talking about Buddy. We’ve spent the better part of an hour getting him used to eating treats, but he still wouldn’t let Grim examine his leg so he managed to get him to take a sleepy treat.”